This invention relates to cushioning members such as those used for transporting articles (e.g., portable computers, etc.) which protect such articles during such transport and handling associated therewith.
For many years, cushioning members have been used to protect corners and surfaces of articles from damage encountered during shipping and handling. Examples are included below.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,874, Breth, et. al, a corner pad is shown which is used in packaging of fragile items contained in a rectangular carton. This pad is composed of three identically shaped resilient or yieldable pieces which, when assembled, provides a three-sided pad with both an open (not filled) internal and external corner for capturing the corner of the package containing a fragile material.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,433, Jenkins, et.al, there is described a four-piece corner pad with an interlocking self contained tab-and-slot structure that permits the corner pad to be set up without the need for any adhesives, tapes, pins, clips, or the like. This structure results only in a partially filled external corner.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,667, Carder, where a honeycomb protector is shown. This protector is composed of a four-piece, foldable, finger and notch assembly which results in a partially filled internal corner.
One more example, a corner protective module, is described by U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,798, Pezely Jr., et. al. This patent reveals a set of packaging modules, one embodiment of which is a corner protective module made of absorbing material having three identical interlocking tongue and groove portions, which when positioned about an article to be packaged forms a corner protector about the article, having an open external corner.
French Patent No. 2,538,351, describes a four-piece packaging corner protector with three walls, each wall being connected to each adjacent wall by a membrane which serves as a hinge permitting the three walls to be adjusted from a flat sheet into a corner protector. One of the walls has two parts, tenon and a mortice, for interlocking purposes.
A cushioning member that both minimizes the number of parts provided to assemble the member and which forms an assembly with a full internal corner (and external corner, if needed) for assuring maximum protection to the article being handled and shipped as defined herein below, has hitherto not been provided. To solve this problem, an improved cushioning member with a full internal corner (and external corner, if needed) utilizing a relatively few number of parts, has been developed. It is believed that such a cushioning member will constitute a significant advancement in the art.
It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a cushioning member that both minimizes the number of parts provided to assemble the member and which forms an assembly with a full internal corner (and external corner, if needed).
It is another object of this invention to provide cushioning members for maximum protection of an article during shipping and handling.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide cushioning members which are easily manufactured from a predetermined blank and composed of compressible material which allows for conformance of projections in cavities and for easy assembly requiring no adhesives, taping, or other means to hold the assembled parts together.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a cushioning member for engaging the external surfaces of an article having first, second and third interconnecting parts, wherein each interconnecting part is adapted for contacting a respective one external surface of the article. These parts are then connected together in such a manner so as to define a substantially full interior corner against which the article can be positioned in a substantially flush orientation.